FBI vs. CIA

What is the difference between FBI and CIA?

The top intelligence agencies in the United States are the FBI and the CIA. FBI stands for Federal Bureau of Investigation and CIA stands for Central Intelligence Agency. The practices of these agencies may be similar but there are major differences between them. They handle the same types of threats, but the level of threats is different for each one.

The FBI focuses its activities within the country, whereas the CIA handles global activities that threaten the country from the outside. The FBI is also known as Homeland Security and concentrates its efforts on the interior policy of the government. The CIA deals with the country’s foreign policy. Both agencies use the latest technology and recruit the most skilled staff possible.

About the FBI

The FBI is one of the most well-known federal intelligence agencies in the world and has been immortalized in many Hollywood movies as well as TV shows. It is under the direction of the US Department of Justice. It is the criminal investigation branch of the federal government and performs the duties of an Internal Intelligence Agency.

When it first came into being in 1898, it was known as the BOU (Bureau of Investigation). The primary goal of the agency is to protect the country against the threat of terrorist attacks, to make sure that the federal laws are obeyed and in general to protect the residents and citizens of the United States. Although many of its activities are domestic, it is not limited to working only inside the country. It often works in international circles in cooperation with the intelligence agencies of other countries.

About the CIA

The CIA is a secret intelligence agency and does not have the same level of visibility that the FBI does. It was established in 1947 as part of the National Security Act as the successor of the Office of Strategic Services, which had performed an important role during the Second World War. It has a great impact on US foreign policy and also on the foreign policies of other countries. Two of the most recent examples are Libya and Afghanistan.

The CIA is a civilian agency that provides security and intelligence reports from all over the world to the US government. The policy makers scrutinize these reports and make decisions about different actions, so in a sense these people can also be considered part of the CIA.

How the FBI and the CIA are different from each other

The FBI and the CIA have different responsibilities even though they are both arms of the US Department of Justice and engage in intelligence activities to keep the US and its citizens safe. They share information with each other, but the FBI concentrates its efforts on domestic activities and the CIA is involved in intelligence activities all over the world. International terrorism is one of the major focuses of the CIA.

The CIA is often compared to a protective layer for the US that exists outside the country and the FBI is compared to the agency that keeps the country’s law and order in place. The main difference is the manner in which they operate. The CIA does a lot of research and background checks, but the FBI attends to actual events that have just happened. The CIA is secretive, but the FBI is visible in the public eye.

Conclusion

Both the CIA and the FBI are the top intelligence agencies in the US. The CIA keeps an eye on events that take place in the world and could affect the US. The FBI keeps an eye on the events that are taking palce inside the country. The CIA operates in a very secretive manner.